Clothes-rack.



J. W. PRICE.

CLOTHES RACK.

APPLIGAHON FILED FEB. I. I917.

3,243,216, Patented 00. 16, 1917.

2 HEETSSHEET I- E 1 E. E... L?

Svwemroz wi/bmm 1. w. PRICE.

CLOTHES HACK;

APPLICATION FILED FEB; I. 1917.

. 24,216. Patented 061}. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET, 2-

TEE-1.5.,

flEZE.

- amwmtoz :AMES W. PRICE, OF CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.

. CLOTHES-BACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedflct. is, 1917.

Application filed February 1, 1917. Serial N 0. 145,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Champaign, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes Racks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive yet a highly eiiicient and durable foldable rack for drying clothes and other articles and with this general object in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which Figure l is a side elevation of the improved clothes rack;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

F ig. 5 is a side elevation of the device in folded position.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 has reference to a rectangular block of substantially the proportions of a cube, said block having formed vertically therethrough a bore 2. Four straight onepiece inclined legs 3 are pivoted between their ends by screws or the like 4 to the four vertical faces of the block 1, the upper portions of said legs serving as supports for a plurality of vertically spaced clothes lines 5 which, due to the inclination of the legs 3, will be oifset from each other so that the clothes onthe upper lines will not hang on those below.

A straight rod 6 slides vertically through the bore 2 and links 7 are pivoted at one end to the upper end of said rod, said links inclining downwardly and being pivoted at their outer ends to the legs 3. By this feature of construction, the movement of any leg 3 toward a vertical position in folding the rack or from a vertical position in open ing the same, will cause the other legs to move correspondingly. NVhen a downward push is exerted upon the upper end of the rod 6, after spreading the rack, the inclined links 7 will force the legs 3 outwardly to the maximum and will thus stretch the lines 5 in condition for use.

A dog 8 is provided for preventing upward movement of the rod 6 until required, said dog being in the form of a flat plate overlying the block 1 and having a circular opening 9 through which the rod 6 passes. Both ends 10 and 11 of the plate 8 are bent at obtuse angles to the body thereof as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the end .10 having a slot 12 through which a screw or the like 13 passes to pivotally and slidably connect the plate with the upper end of the block. Both ends of the plate are preferably reduced in width and the end 11 thereof constitutes a finger piece by means of which the dog may be raised and lowered when required. Lowering of said dog will permit the rod 6 to slide freely therethrough whereas when said dog is raised to the position shown in the drawings, the edge of the opening 9 will grip said rod to prevent upward movement of the latter. The dog is positioned in this manner when the rod 6 is forced downwardly to stretch the lines 5.

A pair of pins 14 are passed through the upper portion of the rod 6 at right angles to each other, said pins projecting from said rod in the inward paths of the links 7 so that the latter will come in contact therewith and will thus be limited in their inward movement to prevent the two pivots of the links and the pivots 4 of the legs 3 from alining or moving to dead center.

By constructing the device in the manner shown and described it will be inexpensive and easy to manufacture yet highly efficient and durable. When spread, the rack occupies a space approximately thirty-eight inches square, the top line being then about forty-four inches from the floor whereas the lower lines will be substantially twentyeight inches. When closed the device is about five feet in length and four inches square and may thus be stored in little space. On account of these advantages the construction shown constitutes the preferred form of the rack but it is to be understood that-within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal advantages.

I claim:

A rack of the class described comprising a polysided block having a vertical bore formed therethrough, a plurality of straight one-piece legs fulcrumed between their ends to the fiat Vertical sides of said block, clothes lines supported between the upper portions it or moving it to a horizontal position While the other end of said plate is formed with 5 a slot, and a fastener passing loosely through said slot and into said block for pivotally and slidably connecting said plate thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set v my hand in the presence of two subscribing 20 Witnesses. 7

JAMES W. PRICE.

Witnesses:

I. W. SMITH,

T. H. GILLINGHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

